Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Lantana camara cultivar Sonshine.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lantana plant, botanically known as Lantana camara, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Sonshine.
The new Lantana originated from a cross-pollination during the spring of 2000 of the Lantana camara cultivar Sonrise, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,856, as the female, or seed, parent with an unidentified selection of Lantana camara, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Sonshine was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Clinton, Miss. during the summer of 2000.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in Clinton, Miss., since the fall of 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Lantana are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar Sonshine have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and culture such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Sonshinexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Sonshinexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Mounded and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely branching growth habit.
3. Freely flowering habit.
4. Bright yellow-colored flowers.
5. Excellent garden performance.
Plants of the new Lantana differ from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Sonrise, in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Lantana are shorter than plants of the cultivar Sonrise.
2. Plants of the new Lantana have bright yellow-colored flowers whereas plants of the cultivar Sonrise have golden yellow-colored flowers that become various shades of orange to red, hot pink and eventually purple during development.
Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the cultivar Samson, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,705. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Clinton, Miss., plants of the new Lantana differed from plants of the cultivar Samson in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Lantana were more spreading and more vigorous than plants of the cultivar Samson.
2. Plants of the new Lantana had bright yellow-colored flowers whereas plants of the cultivar Samson had golden yellow and orange-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Lantana can also be compared to plants of the cultivar New Gold, not patented. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Clinton, Miss., plants of the new Lantana differed from plants of the cultivar New Gold in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Lantana were taller, more spreading and more vigorous than plants of the cultivar New Gold.
2. Plants of the new Lantana had bright yellow-colored flowers whereas plants of the cultivar New Gold had golden yellow-colored flowers.